Every Second Counts
by potterfan36041
Summary: Tommy has been working his way up in the ranks on the racing circuit and finally gets a chance at the big leagues. What happens when an old flame returns and he finds out that things aren't the way they seemed?
1. Chapter 1

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Power Rangers, NASCAR, or am in any way making money off of this story. Some characters are real people and I am trying make their persona as close to realistic as possible. If you have any comments on these areas, when they begin, please tell. Thanks you.

AN: I had a little birdie come drop me a suggestion for a story, sorry that I can't remember who, but thanks for putting that spark in my mind.

Speed. It was all he needed, all that consumed his thoughts. When he was away from the racetrack he wanted to be there and when he was at the racetrack, he wanted to go faster, push himself harder, do things that no one else had ever done before. It was something that did not scare him, something that he dealt with surprisingly well. Others on the race circuit thought that he was just a kid who had never been in a wreck, who sought the thrill that the speed would bring him. They didn't know the real him, the him that thought that this was a piece of a cake, a walk in the park and when you compared it to his past life, it was.

Tommy Oliver had been a Power Ranger for all of his high school years, he had been on four different teams, held three different colors, led three of those teams and had been evil to begin with. Racing…it seemed easy in comparison, sure, there was a thrill, but it paled in comparison to what he had experienced as a ranger, everything did. Everything except her.

"Oliver, you sure that you're ready for Daytona?" Will asked as he walked over to him. He had been working on Tommy's cars for the past three years and he definitely knew how big of a step this was. He had been offered a full time ride in the big leagues and there was nothing to stop him from taking it.

"Ready as I'll ever be," Tommy said as he let out a sigh. He had been hesitant to go to Florida, it was the one place that he never wanted to set foot in. It was not because of the scenery, the weather, or the people, it was because of one woman. He should have been able to forget about her by now, it had been five years since she had broken up with him, but he still found himself, on lonely nights sitting down to think about her. He had been through more failed relationships than he could think of and each woman had ended it with the words 'you'll never get over her and I can't take this anymore'. He had treated them right, but the moment they wanted anything more serious, anything that might head off towards marriage, he had drawn away from them, it was a habit at this point. He wanted to love again, but he was not sure if he was capable of loving anyone else at this point.

"You know I wouldn't think that someone who is getting a chance to be a NASCAR driver would sound so depressed about this. This is the big leagues, what so many little boys around the country dream of doing and you sound like someone just killed your puppy," Will said as Tommy looked over at him and he just shook his head. He did not want to talk about this, not now, not ever. No one on his racing team needed to know about the relationship that drove him in so many ways. It was one thing for them to speculate that he had had a bad break up, it was another thing to put the story out there for him to be hurt again. "You know, whoever she is, you might want to learn to live without her."

"I've been trying," Tommy muttered as he threw his bag into the backseat and then hopped in the car. "How long before the plane leaves?"

"We still have about two and a half hours, plenty of time for us to get there," Will said as Tommy nodded and then settled into the passenger's seat. As much as he loved racing, he could not stand the thought of driving on any road that did not have a speed limit of somewhere around 100 and those just don't exist in many places.

"Don't want to miss this," Tommy muttered as Will just nodded his head. He was not sure what had gotten into the man sitting next to him, but he knew that it had better get out of him quickly. Emotions were a scary thing to have on a racetrack.  


* * *

"Tommy…is coming to Florida?" Kim questioned as she stared up at Jason in shock. She could not believe that she was just now finding this out, when he was probably heading here already. "What the hell is going on?"

"He's racing, I thought you knew that," Jason said as Kim gave him a confused look. "He said he was going to tell you."

"Jason, this is the man that I broke up with for Patrick, he's not going to say a damn thing to me," Kim said as Jason gave her a confused look as he looked over her shoulder at the toddler playing in the background. "He doesn't know and he shouldn't. It would only make things worse."

"Come on, Kim, he wouldn't blame you for what happened," Jason said as Kim let out a sigh and looked back at the little boy.

"I just don't think he needs this, he has more important things to worry about than me," Kim said as she shivered and then let out a sigh. She could not imagine him married or with another woman without feeling slightly sick. She still loved him, but he deserved to have a real life, not the one that he would have if he choose her. "I've got to get going, the track is not going to watch itself."

"You know there's a chance you'll…" Jason trailed off as Kim smiled and just shrugged her shoulders.

"If I run into him, I'll think about it, but Daytona's a big place and I'm sure that I should be fine," Kim said as she reached back and gave him a hug. "Patrick be good for Uncle Jason."

"I will Mama," Patrick called back as he continued playing with his legos and Kim smiled.

"I should be back around ten tonight, we've got to get all the mobile homes and trailers situated and help out where we can," Kim said as Jason nodded.

"Don't over work yourself," Jason called as Kim flashed him a smiled and then headed to her car before pulling out of the driveway. He watched her as she faded into the distance and he let out a sigh. If fate was going to ever throw his friends back together, it had better do it soon, otherwise he was considering drastic measures.


	2. Chapter 2

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any race drivers or make any profit off of them in this story. They are here for background. Please do not get offended.

"Your motor home is over here, Mr. Earnhardt," Kim said as she motioned to the black fortress that would house Dale Earnhardt for the next two weeks. She had already settled Junior into his own and was finishing off her list as she saw the ponytail of long hair out of the corner of her eye and felt her knees weaken. No one else had hair like that, hair that she knew the feeling of when she ran her fingers through it, hair that framed the face that she loved dearly.

"Are you all right ma'am?" Dale asked as she barely nodded her head yes before looking over to make sure it was Tommy and then sprinting off. She did not want to run into him, not now. She needed some space from him, some time to think this all out and suddenly the race track was feeling too small. "That's odd."

"I'd say," Will said as he walked up to the man and watched the woman fleeing. "Funny, she looks familiar. What do you say Tommy?"

"Hmm?" Tommy questioned as he looked over at Will and he smiled.

"The girl…in the pink…running off in that general direction," Will said as he pointed and Tommy's eyes widened. He would know her anywhere, even if she did look different from the last time that he had seen her. He could tell that she had filled out in some areas and had more curves than he remembered, but she was the same woman, the woman that haunted his dreams, that made him feel complete. "What?"

"I know her," Tommy managed as Dale gave him a thorough look.

"You're new to the sport aren't you?" Dale asked as Tommy nodded his head yes and then turned back to watching the girl as she ran.

"She broke up with me, four years ago," Tommy muttered as the other two men exchanged a glance and then walked away to talk on their own. They could tell that there was no way to get him to forget what happened or to stop him going after her.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit," Kim murmured as she paced back and forth in front of her mobile home. There was no way that he could be here, not now. She had thought he would arrive last minute or hell, even late, but he was here, now and she had no clue how to face him.

"You're not gonna do yourself no good mumblin' like that," Earl said as he walked up to Kim and she let out a sigh. She had been working with Earl for the past two years at the racetrack and they had a type of system between themselves on how things ran. She would get everyone settled in and do all the day time work and he would be there at night to hold down the partying. "Now, what's happened Ms. Hart?"

"Old boyfriend just showed up," Kim said as Earl gave her a curious gaze.

"Do I need to go beat him up?" Earl asked as Kim shook her head no and then ducked behind him as Tommy passed by the RV. "Nice, so why ya hidin' from him?"

"I broke up with him, four years ago, right after I found out I was pregnant," Kim said as Earl raised his eye brows and she let out a sigh. "He doesn't know that I've had a baby, doesn't even know that I was raped."

"You told me all of this the first day we started workin' together. Why didn't you tell him?" Earl asked as Kim let out a sigh and then sat down in one of the lawn chairs that had been provided.

"How do you tell the man you love that he won't be your only one?" Kim asked as Earl passed her a coke and she took a long gulp. "Tommy deserves better."

"No, he deserves the truth, for better or for worse, you should tell the boy, otherwise I see things gettin' ugly 'round here real quick," Earl said as Kim nodded and then watched him walk away. Earl had been good to her ever since she had come here searching for a job and she knew he wouldn't lead her astray, she just hoped that Tommy didn't kill her when he found out the truth.

* * *

"She didn't just disappear," Will said as he followed after Tommy, who was still searching for the mystery woman.

"You don't know Kimberly Hart," Tommy said as Will looked over at him and Tommy finally let out a sigh. He was frustrated, hell, he thought that he would be able to track her down easily enough in this mix of trailers, but somehow he had gotten turned around. "She's been disappearing for the last four years on me."

"Come on, she can't hate you that much," Will said, jokingly as Tommy shook his head. He wasn't sure what emotion Kim felt for him now, but he was sure that it wasn't hate, not after seeing the fear in her eyes as she scurried away from him.

"I won't say it's hate, but it's definitely something and if I had to guess, it's probably something that I don't want to know about, but I have to know," Tommy said as he caught a flicker of pink and then ran off, leaving Will in confusion.

"Damn," Kim muttered as she looked behind her and saw Tommy breaking through the crowds as he headed towards her. She could not continue to run scared, she knew that much, but this was not the way that she wanted to explain everything to him.

"Kimberly!" Tommy yelled as she came to a stop and hung her head before she felt his hand on her shoulder. "Kim…"

"Hey, Tommy," Kim whispered as she looked down and he reached over for her hand, which she gently pulled away. "We've got a lot to talk about."

"Look, I don't want to know if you're married, I just wanted to say hi," Tommy said as she looked up at him and let out a long sigh. Leave it to Tommy to be noble about all of this. She, however, could not let him continue to suffer because of something that had happened to her close to four years ago.

"I'm not married and we really do need to talk, although this might not be the best of times. You need to focus on the races," Kim said as Tommy shook his head and smiled down at her.

"How about tonight? My treat?" Tommy asked as her face fell and he gave her a confused look. "Something wrong with that?"

"My babysitter expects me to be home by five this afternoon and I don't think Jason would mind staying late, but…" Kim trailed off as Tommy's mouth fell open. "I just said that out loud, didn't I?"

"Babysitter?" Tommy asked as Kim nodded her head yes and he stared at her.

"It's not what you think, Tommy, but I don't want to talk about it here. If you don't mind coming back to my place tonight, we can order something and then talk," Kim said as he barely nodded and he then grabbed her hand.

"Is this the real reason you left me?" Tommy whispered as Kim barely nodded her head yes and he nodded before he gave her a hug. "I'll meet you outside my RV at four then?"

"Yeah," Kim said as he turned and walked away as she let out a long sigh. She did not notice the girls that were giving her the evil eye for snatching up someone that was obviously an eligible bachelor so quickly. The only thing that she felt was a sudden sense of panic, there was so much that Tommy didn't know and she didn't know how he would take any of it.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jason, when's mama home?" Patrick asked as he looked up at Jason from behind his glasses and Jason smiled down at him. Patrick had been wearing glasses for as long as Jason could remember, but it just came along with his condition. He was a beautiful child, but not in the conventional sense, it was his innocence that kept him beautiful. Kim was not sure if she was the carrier of the gene for Down Syndrome or if it had been her rapist, but she didn't care anymore. Patrick was the best thing that could have come out of the horrible situation. The boy would never know, but he had saved her, the love that she had for another was now poured into a child that she was not ready for, but could not give up.

"Soon," Jason said as he handed him a crayon and Patrick continued coloring on the paper. The doctors kept telling Kim that Patrick was better off than most with this condition, but that didn't matter to her. She still worked with him to get his motor skills better and they worked on his speech as well, but mostly she was just his mom. She wanted what was best for him and the more that he could learn now, the better it would be.

* * *

"You ready?" Tommy asked as Kim walked up to his RV and nodded her head yes. She could feel the tension all over her body at the thought of telling Tommy everything, but he needed to hear this. He needed to know the truth. "Hey, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"You deserve to finally hear the truth and if after you hear it you don't want anything to do with me, I'll understand," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her in shock as he pulled on a light jacket. That was not what he had expected from her, he had expected something completely different.

"I doubt that anything you say is going to make me want to throw you completely out of my life," Tommy said as Kim just shook her head as they walked towards her car. He knew he could forgive her, he knew he would have to, because the reality was that this was not the world he wanted to live in, a world where he looked at women and wondered if they would even come anywhere close to her. He wanted the one woman that she was, nothing else. "How'd you get this job?"

"I met the right people," Kim said as Tommy nodded and he soon fell into step with her. "Jason is not going to be happy with me."

"Why wouldn't Jason be happy with you?" Tommy asked as Kim let out a sigh.

"Let's just say that Patrick doesn't take well to his schedule being messed with," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded.

"Most babies are that way," Tommy said as Kim shook her head and then hopped into the driver's side as Tommy climbed into the passenger's seat.

"He's three Tommy," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her and she let out a sigh. She could tell he was doing the math and everything was adding up in his mind, she just prayed that he didn't think that it had happened because she had been unfaithful to him. "There's a lot that I need to explain and if I start now, I won't get home anytime this evening. I know you have questions, but can you just wait twenty minutes?"

"Of course," Tommy said as he settled back and watched her drive through the traffic. If he had known that this was what would greet him when he came to Daytona he would have come sooner, but he had learned that there was a time and a reason for everything in his life, even this.

* * *

"Mama's home!" Patrick yelled as he ran to the front door and looked out the screen as he had heard the car pull up. Kim couldn't help but smile at the sight of him waving from the front door and she quickly made her way to him, leaving Tommy behind.

"How's my little man?" Kim asked as she scooped him up and held him in a tight hug. He might like Jason, but he was always happy to see her when she got home. "Where's Uncle Jason?"

"Food," Patrick said, simply, as Kim nodded and then carried him into the kitchen where Jason was cooking supper.

"I hope you have enough for an extra mouth," Kim said as Jason looked over at her and she let out a sigh. "Tommy's here."

"Where?" Jason asked as he looked up from the food he was cooking and Kim pointed outside. "You left him outside."

"He has two feet, he can walk in perfectly fine," Kim said as Jason just shook his head and then gave her a stern gaze. "Okay, I'll go get him."

"Thank you," Jason said as Patrick looked between the two of them and then shook his head.

"What's wrong with him?" Tommy asked, quietly, as Kim returned to the front door and found him standing on the porch.

"He has down syndrome," Kim said, simply, as Tommy barely nodded and then took in a shaky breath. "Don't ask about his father, not yet. I'm not sure if you're ready to hear that."

"As long as it's not one of the guys," Tommy said as Kim shook her head that that was not the case. She would not be telling Tommy that...she knew he would kill them for breaking the two of them up. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you after he goes to sleep and Jason leaves. Jason has already heard the entire story, I don't think I should put him through that again," Kim said as Tommy nodded and followed her into the kitchen where he watched Patrick coloring and saw Jason cooking.

"Hey, Tommy. How's it going?" Jason asked as Tommy smiled over at him. "Little fella, where's your manners?"

"Patrick, say hi to Tommy," Kim coaxed as the boy stared up at him in shock and then looked back and forth between Kim and Jason, making sure it was okay. "It's okay, he's my friend."

"Hey, Ommy," Patrick said as he looked down at his coloring book and Kim ran her hands through his hair and smiled. She honestly didn't expect much more out of the boy, considering that he had all but fled from Jason when they first met, close to a year ago.

"Hey," Tommy said as he squatted down to be closer to his level and the boy looked up at him and hesitantly smiled. "You like cars?"

"Vroom, vroom," Patrick said as Tommy smiled and then pulled a toy car out of his pocket and placed it on the table, as the boy stared at him in shock. "Me?"

"Yes, it's for you," Tommy said as Kim stared between the two of them. She could not believe that Patrick was actually interacting with Tommy and that Tommy was treating him like a normal little boy. Most people saw the glasses and the slanted eyes and automatically started treating him different, but not Tommy. Of course Tommy had never been like other people when it came to her, why should this be any different?

"So, how long have you been in Daytona?" Jason asked as Tommy continued to play and Kim stood off to the side, trying not to cry, but failing.

"Around twelve hours, the flight in from LA was not fun," Tommy said as Jason laughed. "I guess it's the price I pay."

"You know you could always move to the Carolina's where your team is based out of," Jason said as Tommy nodded that he had thought about it. "Why didn't you?"

"That's a story I need a full stomach to tell," Tommy said as Jason nodded and then flicked his eyes towards Kim, so that Tommy would get an idea of what her reaction was. "You okay?"

"I'll be fine, come on Patrick, let's go wash up before we eat," Kim said as Patrick abandoned the car and his crayons and followed Kim down the hall.

"So, are you just going to be a nice guy or are you actually going to try to get back into her life?" Jason asked as Tommy settled against the counter and ran fingers through his hair.

"It depends on what she wants, I don't ever want to leave her again, but if she doesn't want me…" Tommy trailed off as Jason placed the food on the table and shook his head.

"She wants you, she just is afraid to have you," Jason said as Tommy nodded his head that that sounded exactly like Kimberly. He didn't know exactly what had happened, but he had the feeling that he was going to find out everything before this night had ended.


	4. Chapter 4

"Sorry Tommy, it usually doesn't take him this long to go to sleep," Kim said as she walked into the living room in a pair of old sweatpants and a t-shirt. She knew that he didn't care what she looked like and she was exhausted after her day at the track. It was normal for her to be exhausted after this, completely normal. "So, I'm guessing you have a few questions."

"Just a few," Tommy said as Kim ran her fingers through her hair as she looked away from him. "Kim, I'm not mad, well, not yet…"

"I don't expect anything out of you, I'm not sure how you're going to take this," Kim said as he looked over at her and she let out a sigh. It was not any easier telling Tommy this than it had been telling the others over the past few years, if anything this was harder. He was the one person that she feared rejecting her and had pushed him away because of that. "There is no easy way to say this, so I'm just going to tell you the truth. I was raped, that's why I…I didn't think you needed that on you, not then, not even now."

"You were what?" Tommy all but yelled as he rose out of his seat and she involuntarily curled up into a ball. She trusted him, but semi-violent outbursts still got to her. "No, don't be scared of me."

"It's not that easy," Kim whispered as she felt his hands on her shoulders and she slowly relaxed into his touch. "They never caught him."

"Is that why you moved away from Miami?" Tommy asked as Kim nodded her head yes, surprised that he was not prying any further. "I don't need anymore tonight, you'll tell me in time."

"You're not going to throw me out of your life?" Kim asked as Tommy laughed and pulled her into a hug.

"It would take a lot more for me to do that and when you're ready you'll tell me everything," Tommy said as she looked up at him and then looked away. "That can't be everything."

"I was knocked out almost immediately, I don't remember what happened, I know what I felt like when I woke up, but I don't remember what the man did to me. Then Patrick came along and…" Kim trailed off as she stood up and walked over to the small porch on the back of her home.

"Do you ever wonder what would have been?" Tommy whispered as he walked up behind her and she nodded her head yes.

"Almost everyday, but it's not his fault that this happened to me, I can't blame him for this, he's a wonderful child," Kim said as Tommy tentatively slipped his arms around her and she allowed herself to settle against him. "So, enough about me and my problems. How did you get into racing?"

"My uncle, I didn't think that I'd ever make it this far, but once I was done being a ranger, what thrill was there left in life?" Tommy asked as Kim let out a sigh. Of course this was some sort of odd risk taking after being a ranger, nothing seemed to be nearly as thrilling and to Tommy racing might even seem sane.

"How long do you think you're going to do this?" Kim asked as he shrugged and she shook her head. "Live your life Tommy and don't worry about me, don't worry about us."

"You want me to forget you?" Tommy asked as Kim shook her head no. "Then what do you want of me?"

"Nothing, I don't want you to forget me, but what I'd need you to do to be with me again…I can't ask you to give that up for me," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her and she just shook her head. "I know you Tommy, I know you well enough to know that you'd give up everything for me…and I can't have you doing that."

"Kim, you're the one woman that I have ever, you're the only person that I want…" Tommy stumbled as Kim turned around to face him and gave him a soft kiss.

"I know, but you've got a life without me, a life that you should be able to live without any of these…" Kim trailed off as she took a step back from him. "I don't want you to give up anything for me."

"I wouldn't be," Tommy said as he held her close and she just shook her head. She heard the door open and looked back to see Patrick staring over at them.

"Mama," Patrick said as Kim disentangled herself from Tommy and quickly walked over to the boy.

"What is it sweetie?" Kim asked as she squatted down next to him and he placed his hands on her face.

"Daddy," Patrick said, simply, as Kim gave him a confused look. She had never mentioned a father or anything like that to him in the past, but someone had, someone had.

"What do you want sweetie?" Kim asked again as Patrick looked over her shoulder at Tommy and then went around Kim towards him.

"Daddy," Patrick said, more emphatically, as he looked up at Tommy and Tommy quickly scooped him up.

"It's past your bed time," Tommy said, calmly, as Patrick looked up at him and smiled. "Come on, I'll tuck you back in."

* * *

"Kimberly, are you going to help out with…" Earl started as she turned around to face him and he stared at her. "What happened to you?"

"I…Patrick isn't going to let Tommy go," Kim said as she let out a long sigh. "I never wanted him to come, because I knew this would happen. I knew that I'd have to ask Tommy to give up…I don't want to ask that of him."

"I'm confused," Earl said as Kim looked over at him.

"Tommy is the man that I planned on marrying and I didn't think that Patrick would love him, but he does and you know how hard it is for him to even like people," Kim said as Earl nodded. He had been around the boy for the past couple of years and he rarely got a hello from him. "How can I take that away from him?"

"You don't have to, if he feels the way you feel then why should this be a big deal?" Earl asked as Kim let out a long sigh and wiped her eyes.

"Because I cannot ask him to give up his dreams, Patrick can't travel from place to place, he can't deal with all of that. I'd be asking him to give up so much," Kim said as Earl placed his arm around her and she let out a sigh.

"And do you think he'd give it up for you?" Earl asked as Kim nodded her head that she was sure that he would. "Well, then I think you need to leave this choice up to him, 'cause it may be worth losin' this to have you."

"I'm not worth that," Kim said as Earl gave her a harsh look.

"You always sell yourself short missy and I'm tired of hearin' it. It's time that you stop feelin' bad for what happened and let the people that mean the most to you back into your life, you just might be surprised at what'll happen," Earl said as he took his arm off her and then headed back to his customary RV for his day of rest.


	5. Chapter 5

"You want to what?" Will asked as Tommy looked over at him. He had just told him the entire story of him and Kimberly, hoping that he would be able to give him some advice, but all he had gotten was that getting back in the car would cure him. His thoughts would return to racing and all would be right in the world. He knew that that was not the case. "Come on, she's not that special."

"You don't know her," Tommy said, calmly, as he let out a sigh and then looked around. "You have no idea what I would do to go back and change things, to never let her leave Angel Grove."

"But she had to," Will said as Tommy gave him a confused look. "You said it yourself, you couldn't have held her back from her dreams if you tried and she doesn't want to do that to you now."

"My dream has been her, for so long it has only been her. I took up racing to forget, to forget everything that happened between us, to find someway to live again and now I'm faced with a decision that only I can make and I have no clue what to do," Tommy said as he plopped down in a chair and was surprised when a shadow passed in front of his face.

"You, my friend, seem to need someone to talk to," Dale said as Tommy looked up at the older man and let out sigh. He had heard the rumors of what Dale Earnhardt was like and he wondered exactly what kind of talking to he was about to receive. "Why don't you go find the crew chief? He needs to take a better look at this car."

"All right," Will said as he jumped up and ran off and Dale took the seat next to him.

"A woman?" Dale asked as Tommy nodded his head yes and placed his head in his hands. "Quite a woman I'd say by the way you're actin'. What's stoppin' you?"

"She won't let me give up my dreams," Tommy said as Dale nodded and then sat back. He had to respect the woman for knowing what he would be giving up, although he was not sure why he would have to give anything up in the first place. "And I'm not sure how to tell her that even these dreams don't compare to what I want with her."

"Those words would work pretty good if you ask me," Dale said as Tommy shook his head that it would not work. "Why won't it work? You just have to believe in what you're doin'. You might like racing, even love it, but not enough to throw her away, otherwise you would just be doing what my son does with every new female adventure he gets."

"So the rumors are true?" Tommy asked as Dale nodded his head yes and Tommy shook his head. "She has a little boy."

"Not yours though," Dale stated as Tommy nodded his head yes. "If you can live with the fact that he's not yours, I still don't see anything to stop you."

"She won't let me have her," Tommy murmured as Jason walked up to him, holding Patrick by the hand. Kim had said it would be all right to come visit the track today, since it was only practice and she should be able to break away some.

"Someone wants to see you," Dale said as Tommy looked up and saw the little boy smiling over at him as he stood and then scooped him up. "You come see me when you've figured this out."

"Thank you," Tommy said as Dale shook his head.

"No need for thanks, part of bein' in the business for so long," Dale said as he stood there for a moment, watching the young man as he played with the boy in his arms.

"Have you seen your mama yet?" Tommy asked as Patrick shook his head no and Tommy then situated him better in his arms. "Well, we better go find her."

"Before you do that, I've got to be going, interview at one of the dojo's…can you keep an eye on him?" Jason asked as Tommy nodded his head that he could and then headed off looking for Kimberly. "Thanks."

"No problem," Tommy said as Patrick smiled up at him and he started walking through the pits, looking for a flash of brown hair.

"Daddy," Patrick whispered as Tommy looked down at him and smiled. "Mama sad."

"Mama's sad?" Tommy asked as Patrick nodded his head yes and he thought about it for a moment. Kim had not seemed upset when she brought him back here last night, but he knew she could put up a good show for him when she felt it necessary. "Well, we're just going to have to change that."

* * *

"Earl, has Jason stopped by?" Kim asked as she walked into the RV and Earl sat up and merely shook his head no. It was not like Jason to be late or to not show at all, something didn't seem right and her gut told her to go look for him.

"Mama!" Patrick yelled as she exited the RV and he saw her out of the corner of his eye.

"Where?" Tommy asked as he followed Patrick's line of sight and saw Kim outside a RV, eyes wide with shock. "Come on, we better go say hi."

"Mama!" Patrick said, excitedly as he practically leapt from Tommy's arms to Kimberly's. "Daddy make better."

"He's not your dad, Patrick," Kim said, softly, as the boy shook his head that that was not the case. "Why is he?"

"Wuv," Patrick said, simply, as Kim looked up at Tommy and her breath hitched as he stared intently into her eyes. She could feel him moving closer, but she could not find the strength to pull herself away from him.

"I still love you, I never stopped, and you are asking me to give up far more by continuing to race. I did this to forget you and here you are, it didn't work and I think I knew it never would," Tommy whispered as he reached for her hand. "Just think about it, I'm prepared to do whatever it takes Kim."

"Daddy," Patrick said, softly, as he reached over and pulled Tommy closer to him.

"Patrick…" Kim started as Tommy held up a hand and gently took the boy out of her arms.

"I'll be his father even if it's not biological, even if we only stay friends," Tommy said as he smiled down at the boy. "Now, he mentioned you being sad."

"I just had a rough night last night Tommy, it's no big deal," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her and then placed his arm around her. "Please don't ask, I know you want to know but…"

"It won't matter if I keep asking, over and over, you won't tell me until you want to and that may not happen anytime soon. I trust that one day you will, but not today," Tommy said as she looked up at him in shock. "Now, how about we take this little guy around to see the pits?"

"Tommy, I'm not sure if he would like the noise," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her and shook his head.

"You've got to let him try new things Kim, you can't protect him forever and who knows, he might like it and if he doesn't, we'll leave, it's that simple," Tommy said as Kim barely nodded and then took hold of his hand. She felt that she needed his protection, needed him to be that cornerstone in her life, because right now she was not sure where it was headed.


	6. Chapter 6

"I can't believe that he liked all of that," Kim said as Tommy placed the sleeping boy in the back seat of her car later on that afternoon. She had watched the way the two of them interacted, the way that Tommy talked to him like he was a normal kid, played with him, showed him things. Even if Patrick didn't understand it, it warmed Kim's heart to watch the way that Tommy treated him. He was a little boy to Tommy, that was it. "Tommy, he usually can't take change or loud noises or anything like that."

"I know, you've told me this already," Tommy said as he leaned down and captured her lips in a soft, but needy kiss. She soon lost herself in the feelings and wound her hands into his hair, pulling him closer. She had missed this so much, missed him, holding her, kissing her, talking to her, just everything that he did, she missed. When he finally pulled away, the both of them were a bit breathless and Kim found herself resting her head against his chest in order to keep upright.

"I've missed that," Kim whispered as he placed his arms around her and settled his chin on top of her head. He could feel her chest as it rose and fell and he could not help but smile. "You want to stay with us for the night?"

"I'd love to," Tommy said as Kim nodded and he watched her as she walked around to the driver's side and climbed in. He wished that this was not even something that she would have to ask him, but he now understood why she had left him and why it had been necessary, to some extent.

"Your team seems nice," Kim said as Tommy looked over at her in confusion.

"Have you met some teams that aren't like that?" Tommy asked as Kim barely nodded her head yes. She had seen some teams over the past few years that barely got along, but somehow managed to pull it all together on race day. "That's a pity."

"You're right, it is, but in this business you never know what a driver needs behind him," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded and she let out a sigh. "What are we doing Tommy?"

"Trying to pick up the broken pieces of what we had. There is absolutely no forgetting you, no matter how hard I try. This may be my only season in the big leagues and I want to know that when it is all over I'll be able to come back to you," Tommy said as he heard her sigh and he then looked over at her. "I still love you Kimberly, I never quit."

"This conversation needs a better place to be had," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded that he agreed. He knew that they couldn't continue to talk like this in her car, otherwise she'd probably be in tears.

"I can wait until we get to your place," Tommy said as he reached over and gently took her hand in his. "But I need you to know, I'm not going to let you go again."

"I know and I'm glad that you feel that way," Kim said as Tommy gave her a faint smile as she zipped along the streets of Daytona, getting closer to her home with every minute and closer to an answer that she was not completely sure she was ready for.

* * *

"He went down easier tonight," Tommy commented as Kim walked back out into the kitchen and looked over at him with a smile.

"He was exhausted and he didn't fight it today, he really likes you Tommy," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded. He had seen as much when they had been together today. The boy had shied away from almost everyone, but he didn't seem to care if Tommy held him or if he talked to him, he liked him, a lot.

"I'm glad that he does, Kim, I want you to come home to, every night," Tommy said as she looked over at him in shock and could not believe that he was just diving into this right away. "Kim, I've had more than enough time to think this over and I can't keep acting as if I don't care for you, because I do, I really do."

"I know, but I don't feel right asking to do give up all of your dreams for us. Tommy, he likes you, but it would be difficult on him to go from town to town every weekend, it wouldn't be a constant and he needs that," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded. He understood her dilemma, he really did, but he couldn't continue his life this way, the last few days had taught him as much.

"That's why I'm not sure that I'll be staying in NASCAR past this negotiated season. I love the sport, but not nearly enough to lose you," Tommy said as Kim barely nodded and he reached over and gently took her hand. "I love you, only you."

"Tommy…I'm not ready…"Kim muttered as he gave her a smile.

"I'm not asking you to do anything that you are not completely ready for Kimberly, I just want for you to know that I'm not going to give up. I can't…." Tommy trailed off as she stared up at him and he then pressed his lips gently against hers. He slowly pushed her back against the table and could not help the smile that tugged at his lips when she let out a soft moan.

"Tommy, we shouldn't be doing this," Kim said as she tried to focus her eyes, but found it hard to do as his hands ran up and down her spine. "Tommy, please…"

"I'll sleep on the couch," Tommy whispered as he gave her a kiss on the forehead and he then headed for the living room. She quietly stood to the side and watched him as she tried to regain her senses. He was the one man that she could imagine feeling this way for and she knew that there was no coincidence about it. She also had to get over the deep, dark fear that she had and learn to let him love her past everything that had happened.


	7. Chapter 7

"Daddy, up!" Patrick yelled as he shook Tommy's shoulder and he slowly rolled over to face the little boy. "Mornin'!"

"Good morning buddy, is Mama awake?" Tommy asked as he fixed the glasses on the boys face and Patrick shook his head no. "Let's go wake her up."

"Play?" Patrick asked as Tommy picked him up and then walked back to Kim's bedroom. He quietly opened the door and looked down to see that Kim was no longer in her bed.

"Kim," Tommy said as he looked around the room and he listened for sounds coming out of the bathroom, but heard nothing. "Stay here Patrick, I'll find Mama."

Tommy set him down on the bed and slowly opened the door to the bathroom. What he saw shocked him and he had to take a deep breath to calm himself. Kim had obviously been exhausted last night after their experience and had fallen asleep in the bathtub. Although he was sure that Patrick had seen her like this, he was not comfortable with it and he quietly walked over and scooped her out of the tub before he reached over for a towel and wrapped it around her body.

"Mama?" Patrick asked as Tommy looked back at the boy and Kim slowly raised her head from his shoulder.

"What happened?" Kim asked as she looked up at Tommy in complete and utter shock. "We didn't…"

"No, you fell asleep in the tub," Tommy answered as she barely nodded. "All night, Kim, you need to take care of yourself."

"I've been trying, it's just hard when you are completely by yourself with a child. Is he okay?" Kim asked as Tommy nodded his head yes and then gently placed her in bed. "You saw me…"

"It's not like I never have before Kim, we got very close, several times. All I did was pick you up and put a towel around you," Tommy said as Kim nodded. "I've got to get to the track, get some more sleep."

"Patrick's up, I might as well take you out there and then come back to get some rest," Kim said as Tommy nodded and took the boy out of the room.

"I'll get him dressed, you worry about yourself," Tommy said as he took Patrick's hand and guided him back to his room. "What do you want today?"

"Daddy!" Patrick yelled as Tommy picked him up and gave him a squeeze.

"I guess you don't care, so…it's kinda warm outside and Mama has put you in shorts and t-shirts, I guess it'll be more of the same," Tommy said as he found a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and he then sat Patrick down. "Can you hold still for me?"

"Um-hmm," Patrick mumbled as he looked away and Tommy could not help but smile as he moved around. The boy understood so much more than many doctors thought he would and yet, he still did not understand some things that a normal three year old would.

Tommy quickly got the boy changed and then made it back out to the living room where he folded the sheets that Kim had handed him the evening before. Seeing that Kim was not in the kitchen, he headed in there to get the boy and himself breakfast. He wished that Kim would let him watch after Patrick for a day and actually be able to have a day to herself, to relax. He, however, knew that she would not let him do that, no matter how much he wanted to.

"How'd you get him dressed so fast?" Kim asked as she walked out into the kitchen and saw Tommy setting a bowl of cereal in front of Patrick. "He usually takes forever to get ready."

"I guess I'm used to little boys. David had his first child a few months ago, a little boy," Tommy said as Kim nodded and started helping Patrick with his food.

"What do you have today?" Kim asked as Tommy thought about it for a moment.

"Today is qualifying, tomorrow practice, the next day the race," Tommy said as Kim barely nodded and he reached over and brushed a piece of hair out of her face. "Do you have today off?"

"Unofficially yes, Earl is good about giving me Fridays off to be with Patrick, race weekend pretty much takes up most of my time and Saturday and Sunday are always the busiest days," Kim said as Tommy barely nodded and went about eating his breakfast. "Your crew isn't going to wonder where you are?"

"My crew knows that I have friends in the area, and that I stayed here tonight. If you can get me there at a decent time, they won't be too mad," Tommy said as Kim nodded as she wiped Patrick's chin and she then picked him up from his booster seat. "I'll get him in the car, you take care of everything else."

* * *

"Oliver, where you been? You were supposed to get here thirty minutes ago," Will said as Tommy walked up to him and just shook his head.

"My ride slept in late so we got a late start," Tommy said as Will gave him a confused look.

"You weren't in your motor home?" Will asked as Tommy shook his head no. "Who were you with?"

"That girl you keep asking me about," Tommy said as Will smiled.

"You got lucky didn't you?" Will asked as Tommy shook his head no. He had wanted to make love to her, but he knew that he could not force her, it would have to be on her own time, when she was ready. "Come on, you ain't gotta lie to me."

"She's not someone that I would do that to just because I need it. I want her to be ready and willing, the last time that she did, she didn't have much of a choice," Tommy murmured as Will gave him a confused look. "Don't worry about it, come on, I need to get suited up."

"You're right about that," Will said as Tommy and he walked off to the motor home so that he could get suited up. It was important to make this race, they all knew that, but for a rookie, it was particularly important. This was the beginning of the season, the beginning of their careers, it was something that was extremely important in order to try to make their name.


	8. Chapter 8

DISCLAIMER: I do not own NASCAR, Penski Racing, the Busch series, or the tv personalities involved in this sport. I am not making any profit off this story, but since it's about racing I want it to be realistic.

"Tommy Oliver is a new talent out of Angel Grove, California. He raced some Busch races last season and made a pretty big impression on the top guns here in NASCAR, enough for Penski Racing to take a chance on the boy," Darryl Waltrip announced as the green and white Mountain Dew machine took the track for his first lap of qualifying.

"Another Californian breaking into the big leagues," Larry McReynolds said as the camera panned in for a closer view of turn two. "He's not as clean cut as Gordon."

"Not by any means. The first time I met the boy, all I saw was this long hair and a karate t-shirt. Let me tell you, he sure knows how to drive that car," Darryl said as he watched the number 27 car drive around. "You'd think that he would have had some practice here, but this is the first time he's ever been to Florida, much less seen this track."

"He does have an interesting connection to this track, one of the managers here is a friend of his from California," Larry said as Darryl looked over at him. This was a new tidbit of news and usually he was the one who had the hottest gossip.

"A friend?" Darryl asked as Larry nodded his head.

"Kimberly Hart, a former Pan Olympian, is one of the managers at this track, through good fortune and a bit of luck she was hired by this track a year and a half ago," Larry said as Darryl nodded.

"If you tell me they were reunited here, I'm afraid that I'm going to have to go ask the source myself," Darryl said as Larry let out a good hearted laugh.

"They were, actually, he spotted her and then went after her. She's a pretty girl from what I've heard," Larry said as Darryl just shook his head.

"Woo-we that was that a fast lap there for the number 27 Mountain Dew car, let's see if he can make it any better on his second time around this place," Darryl said as they all looked at the clock.

Tommy drove into turn one deep and smooth and the same thing happened in turn two as well. When he rounded the corner into turn three the car slid, at least that was what he thought, but suddenly he felt the car lift off the ground and knew that he was in trouble. It was his first time at a big track and now he was experiencing a wreck. The car first started flipping in what seemed like slow motion and then it suddenly sped up and he knew he was in a lot of trouble. While the car was built well, the fact that his head was snapping around loosely in the headrest let him know this was going to be bad, very bad.

"It looks like his back wheel broke off," Darryl said as they looked at the replay.

"The ambulance is on its way to the rookie driver," Larry said as Darryl continued to look at the car.

"That was a bad wreck," Darryl commented at the car resembled more of a crushed coke can than a car. "If he walks away from this unscathed, I would be surprised."

He sat in the car, trying to reorient himself, but all the blood that he felt rushing to his head and took a deep breath. He went through a checklist in his mind as he worked through the various parts his body, trying to feel if something was wrong. It suddenly dawned on him that his back was tingling and he felt like he had a major case of whiplash. As he continued through his body, he suddenly realized that he was having difficulty feeling the lower half of his body.

"Tommy, how are you?" the medic asked as he looked over at him.

"I'm having trouble feeling some things," Tommy said as he looked around before he felt himself drift out of consciousness.

* * *

"Can I see Tommy Oliver?" Kim asked as she stood in the emergency room a few hours later. She had gotten a phone call from Earl that he had crashed in turn three and she had not believed that until she called around and confirmed the information. Now she was standing in a hospital waiting room, hoping that she would be able to see him, hoping she'd get some real answers.

"That's her!" a reporter yelled as Kim spun around and clung to Patrick as the boy buried his face in her neck.

"What's going on?" Kim murmured as she was backed into the desk and she looked around at the press.

"We hear that you are Tommy Oliver's girlfriend. Do you have any idea on his condition?" a man asked as Kim's eyes widened and she clung to her son.

"Give her some room people," Earl yelled over the crowd as he shoved his way between Kim and the reporters. "They'll take you back."

"Is it that bad?" Kim asked as Earl gave her a sidelong glance and she then felt herself being pulled away by a nurse. "Can you give me any answers?"

"Technically, you are not his wife or next of kin, although you are the one he is asking for," the nurse said as Kim barely nodded her head. "Come with me."

Kim soon forgot her way as she followed next to the nurse in silent shock. It couldn't be nearly as bad as everyone was making it out to be, Tommy was a tough guy, if he could handle being the leader of the Power Rangers, he could surely handle a car crash. It didn't help her nerves any that Earl had all but forbidden her to watch the crash. It didn't seem like it would be too disturbing, considering what she had seen in the past from the zord fights, but nothing could have prepared her for what she saw when she walked into his room.


	9. Chapter 9

AN: I do not own NASCAR, any of the NASCAR drivers past or present, and the Power Rangers. I make no money off of this story or any of the other stories I have written.

Tommy had had a stream of doctors and various other medical personnel coming in and out of his room since he arrived. Obviously they were concerned about the fact that he could not feel some of his extremities, but they were mostly chalking that up to the type of injury it was. The paralysis seemed to be temporary, as there were no other signs otherwise, but it still was not looking good to him. Even if it was temporary, he was out of the season and he hadn't even made the first race.

"Daddy!" Patrick yelled as Kim stood in the open door frame in shock, barely able to keep herself upright. It was obvious to her what the problem was and it scared her. He had begged her to just tell him what she wanted and she had told him to chase his dream, just like he had told her the same thing. Chasing their dreams had gotten the both of them into the hospital, but for very different reasons.

"Hey buddy," Tommy said, hoarsely, as he turned his head to look over at them. "Kim, it's not as bad as it looks."

"I…I…" Kim stuttered as she struggled to get a grasp on the situation at hand as she lowered Patrick to the floor, knowing that she could not hold him any longer. The boy ran for Tommy's bed and Tommy reached over and grabbed his hand.

"Are you Kimberly Hart?" a man with mirrored sunglasses asked as he walked up behind her and she nodded her head yes. "He took a pretty wild ride out there today."

"Mr. Earnhardt? What are you doing here?" Kim asked as she finally recognized the man.

"Well, we all saw the crash and after I qualified they said he was still here, I thought I might as well come out," Dale said as Kim barely nodded and Patrick clung tightly to Tommy's hand.

"Patrick, Mr. Earnhardt isn't going to hurt you," Kim whispered as she crouched down next to the boy and he clung to her. "Sorry, he doesn't deal well with new people."

"It's fine," Dale said as Kim straightened and she ran her fingers through her hair.

"Can someone tell me what's going on?" Kim asked as Tommy looked up at her and reached over for her hand. "You're in a neck brace, how can this not be so bad?"

"It's a preventative measure," Tommy said as Kim stared at him and clutched to the bedside rail. "Kimberly, don't faint on me, please. I can't really move to catch you."

"What do you mean?" Kim asked as Dale walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder.

"They had to haul him out of the car, he couldn't walk," Dale said, quietly, as Kim placed Patrick down roughly on Tommy's bed and Dale wrapped an arm around her to keep her from fainting. "She do this a lot?"

"Every once in awhile," Tommy said as he grasped Patrick in place. "Give her a minute and she'll come back to her senses."

"I did not think this would be part of the bargain," Dale said as Tommy smiled. "Do they think that it's going to be permanent?"

"No, the main injury is to my back and they are fairly sure that I'll regain my mobility. It's tingling right now," Tommy said as Kim's eyes fluttered open. "Hey sweetheart."

"Tommy…I'm so sorry that I…" Kim stuttered as he smiled over at her and grasped her hand.

"I'll let the two of you talk," Dale said as Kim barely nodded. "You let me know what you're going to do, all right?"

"I will Mr. Earnhardt, thank you," Tommy said as the man walked from the room and Tommy looked back at Kim. "Kimberly, I'm yours, you are the woman I love, the one person that I can't imagine living without."

"Tommy, I don't want you to…" Kim trailed off as he sat up and pulled her into a kiss. He might not have much use of his legs at the moment, but his arms were still as strong as ever.

"I am not giving up anything that I will regret Kimberly. Do you want to know what I thought about right before I passed out?" Tommy asked as she looked down at him and Patrick slowly moved between the two of them. "I thought about the fact that I'd never see you again and that I hadn't been able to prove to you just how much I truly care about you. I love you and only you."

"Tommy, there is so much that you would have to take on if you…" Kim trailed off as she looked between Patrick and Tommy. "It wouldn't be right to ask you deal with all of this."

"Well, I'm telling you that I don't care if you ask or not, I'm going to be here for the both of you, no matter what," Tommy said as the little boy crawled over his stomach and settled against him.

"How can you just give all of this up? Tommy, it's your dream, I can't just sit here and let you give that up for me," Kim said as Tommy let out a sigh and then looked over at her.

"You think that this is what I really want? Kim, I started racing to forget you, to forget the woman that I loved and what she had done to me. Being a ranger had done a good job, but once I was no longer a ranger, I needed something else, racing was what it was. I'd be lying if I said that I didn't like racing, but I don't love it, I don't live, eat, and breathe it. I know that what I am saying doesn't make sense, but with each step that I rose in the racing circuit, I thought I was putting more of your memory behind me. It turns out that racing led me right back to you. Even if I walk again, I'm not going back out there. This was my warning from God, that it was time to get everything straight with you and do what I have to, to make you understand it," Tommy said as Kim stared at him in shock. She had not expected that kind of speech from him, especially now, but he seemed sincere. Actually, deep down, she knew he was sincere, but she didn't want to think about what that meant at the moment.

"You're sure? You know that it's not going to be an easy road Tommy," Kim said as he nodded his head yes and then nodded down to the boy that had fallen asleep against his chest.

"Nothing has ever been easy with us Kimberly, why would this be any different?" Tommy asked with a smile as she sat down in the chair next to the bed and took his hand in hers. The man in black smiled from the door as he silently walked away, knowing that the boy with potential was not coming back to the race, but was moving on to something much more important.


	10. Chapter 10

**Epilogue**

Tommy looked up at the track that still gave him nightmares. His crash hadn't been anything too bad, not in the world of NASCAR wrecks, but it still left him sore and most of the time in dire need of a long shower afterwards. His hands shook, but he steadied them as he held his son a little bit closer.

"Tommy," Kim said as she walked up to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You okay?"

"I haven't been out here since the wreck," Tommy said as he looked down at her and she wrapped her arms around him.

"How's little one doing?" Kim asked as he looked over at her and then down at the baby in his arms.

"Fine, Patrick asleep in Earl's RV?" Tommy asked as Kim nodded her head yes and he sighed. "It's different than how I imagine it, but I don't think I'd trade it."

"Glad to hear that, since you're pretty much stuck with me for the rest of your life," Kim said as he smiled and she gave him a quick kiss. "I've missed seeing you, the last few weeks have been rough."

"Well, you knew I would have to go back to California some time and after finals was the best I could do, sorry it took longer than I thought," Tommy said as she held him close. "I miss it, I didn't think I would, but I do."

"Now that you're not a Power Ranger I would imagine that the thrill of lots of things is gone. How do you think school is going?" Kim asked as he let out a sigh. "That rough?"

"I'm trying to go through four years in three if I can manage it, I've got to take care of you guys," Tommy said as she just shook her head. "I know, I'm working with Jason and we're making a living, but I want to do more than that."

"I understand, I do, we never know when Patrick might have an episode or when he'll have nothing but wonderful days and that's a lot to take," Kim said as he nodded and just let out a shaky breath. "I'm scared we'll lose him."

"I know, but we'll do everything we can to keep that from happening and little one here is going to keep us busy too," Tommy said as Kim nodded. She had had her hands full over the last two weeks keeping up with the kids and Brayden wasn't even crawling yet. "Come, let's go pick Patrick up and get back to the house. I just want to play with my boys."

"Your boys?" Kim asked as she raised her eyebrow and he shook his head.

"Patrick is just as much my son as Brayden is, you know that," Tommy said as she smiled and he gently grabbed her hand. "Come on, you're looking tired."

"I am, I haven't been able to sleep much lately," Kim replied honestly as he nodded and they turned away from the track and headed towards the infield. "Not your fault, he needs to eat every few hours like a normal baby."

"Mom's going to come out in a few months, wants to see her first grandchild," Tommy said as Kim smiled. She had known that that was the way that it would be with Sally. She had been shocked when the two of them eloped instead of having a proper ceremony, but then she learned to understand why and she didn't question it, not anymore.

"I'm sure that she does. I can bet that she's shocked we actually made a second go at it, maybe not anymore," Kim said as he just shook his head. He had had to explain a lot of things, but it had all been worth it. They had thought he had lost his mind, when he sent the picture of him and Kim getting married. Now they knew just how serious they were about each other and it comforted his parents. The thought of her breaking his heart again was something they didn't like.

"They're fine with it, now that they've had a long talk with me in person and they know it's what I want," Tommy said as she nodded. She had known how skeptical they would be and she didn't mind it. Tommy was their only child and he was marrying a woman that had hurt him before and she vowed she'd never do that again.

"He's just waking up," Earl said as they approached the camper and Kim walked in to get Patrick up. "How are you doing?"

"All right, glad to be back home, even if it's the land of the hurricanes," Tommy said as Earl chuckled.

"You've never seen a hurricane and hope that you never do, they can get bad, but I'm thinkin' you already figured that one out," Earl said as Tommy just shook his head. "She doin' okay?"

"Yeah, it's just been a couple long weeks for the both of us," Tommy said as Earl nodded and Kim walked out of the trailer, leading Patrick by the hand.

"Daddy!" Patrick yelled as Tommy smiled and then bent down to give him a hug. "Home."

"Yeah, I'm home, come on, Mama looks like she needs an afternoon off," Tommy said as Kim just smiled at him and she then began walking towards their car.

"You got me!" Tommy yelled as Patrick pounced on him and he collapsed to the ground, which caused Patrick to burst out in a fir of laughter. "What's so funny?"

"You're funny," Patrick responded as Tommy smiled and then gave the boy a gentle noogie. Kim watched from the front walk as she kept an eye on Brayden in the stroller. He was sleeping peacefully, but she knew she'd have to wake him up soon, in any hope to get a decent sleep tonight.

"No, you are," Tommy countered as Patrick continued to laugh. If you had asked him two years ago if this was what he'd have, he would have told you that you were crazy. But here he was, with his family and it didn't matter to him that Patrick was not a normal kid, because he was just a kid and that was how he needed to be treated. Sure, he had worried about Brayden, but nothing was wrong with him. He had all his fingers and toes and that was a blessing, a true blessing. He was healthy, that was all he could have wanted.

"Hey, time to get cleaned up," Kim announced as Tommy looked over at her and he barely nodded as he picked Patrick up and carried him inside. "Thank you."

"No need for thanks. I got them tonight, all I want is for you to go upstairs and rest after supper," Tommy said as Kim smiled and gave him a hug.

"You'll be duly rewarded for that," Kim whispered as he smiled. That had not been his intentions in the first place, but he had missed her as well, probably more than the kids if he was really honest about it.

"They're asleep," Tommy said as he crawled into bed next to her and she snuggled up next to him. "I haven't slept too good over the last few days."

"Neither have I, although it might have been for different reasons," Kim said as she turned back towards him and gave him a kiss. "I'm so glad that you stayed."

"I was never going to leave you once I found out about everything. You would have had to force me back into a race car," Tommy said as she quickly kissed him again. "It's good being home."

"I'm glad that our home is together," Kim whispered as his lips landed on hers and she smiled. God must have been looking down on her when she had given her this second chance with him, she knew that she didn't deserve it, but he was here anyway.


End file.
